Loose-leaf binder



164666 1927' R. M. VAN VALKENBURGH 9 LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Aug. 1, 1925 I N V EN TOR.

Rich arr] ILVanValke 11h UlBh Patented Oct. 4 25, 1 927. g

iiI'cIIAnD M. vAN VALKENBUGRH, or x NsAs CITY, MIssounI, ASSIGNOB T0 IRVING- PITT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or KANsAs CITY, MISSOURL-A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

' LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed August 1, 1925. Serial No. 47,399.

This invention relates to loose-leaf binders and particularly to that type of binder having a plurality of rings for receiving loose sheets, and the primary object of this invention is to provide efiective means for opening the hooks comprising the sheet carrying rings.

Heretofore, it has been customary to .attach the hook opening device to some member of the loose-leaf binder other than the hook-carrying members upon which it acts. It is the object of this invention to provide a novel structure for opening the hooks which is supported by the hook-carrying members and which-does not depend upon any other element of the structure" for its efiectiveness.

Another "object of the present invention is the provision of a hook-opening'member which is supported in such a waythat the spring plate used to hold the hook-carry ng members in the extreme open or closed position will be caused to relax its exerted force simultaneously with the upward thrust at a point on the line of meeting of said hookcarrying members. i

It is a further object of this invention to providea novel and neat constructlon to embody this invention, one that is easy and cheap to make and not likely to get out of order after it has been assembled at the factor in even further object of the instant in: vention is to provide a hook-opening member which is made a part of the binder structure in such away that it is permanently locked in place after the binder is assembled and cannot be removed or will not accidentally be-dis1odged through rough usage.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of the detailed specification which refers to the preferred way of making the hook-opening device as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the well known loose-leaf binder of the ring type showing the invention made a part thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical central section of the binder showing the hook-opening members, which are made in accordance with this invention, disposed at each end of the hook-carrying members.

Fi 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detaile cross section of the binder with the hook-carrying members in the closed position, taken'on line IIIIII of Fig. 2, lookmg n the direction of the arrow.

Flg. 4 1s a similar detailed view with the hook-carrying members in the open or sheetreleasing position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan/view of one end of the binder member showing the hookopening member in place, and,

Flg. 6 1s a perspective view of the hookopening member constructed in accordance with this invention and removed from the binder. v

Like reference charactersrefer to similar parts through-out the several views, and the numeral 7 designates-an ordinary loose-leaf binderof the ring type having the wellknown spring plate 8 which is adapted to engage the two hook-carrying members 9 along their outer edges to maintain'the same in either the open or closed positon. When It is desired to remove or add sheets 10 from or to the well known hooks 11, carried by the members 9, the hook-carrying members 9 assume the position shown in Fig.4. I

Inmoving the members 9 from the closed position to the open, or from the position shown'in Fig. 3 to that illustrated in Fig. 4, spring plate 8 must be flexed so that the engaging edges thereof are forced outwardly. It is known in the art that many devices for operating the hook-carrying members 9- to open hooks 11 have been designed. Previously, the hook-opening member, having a portion thereof in engagement with the hookcarrying members 9, was supported by some member of the .binder other than directlyv by the two hook' carrying members at a point where its operation did not tend to exert the proper pressure at the edges of spring plate 8. y

This invention contemplates a hook-open- .ing member which may be constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing, and which has a pair of fulcrums 12, the upwardly extendingfstem 13 of which passes through openings I l-formed near the outer edges, close to the meeting edges of member 9 and spring plate 8, and adjacent each' end of the hook-carrying members 9. Fulcrums 12 bear upon the upper surface of each of the hook-carrying members 9 and hold .the

hook-opening member away "from and out or engagement with any other member of the I should be binder. One of these hook-opening members provided at'each end of the binder as shown in Fig. 2, and may have a suitable spring plate 8 slightly, which will permit hook-carrying members 9 to be more easily sprung to the open position as shown In Flg.

4,. thus carryingthe hook members 11 to the I Open P sition. It is plain that the downward pull exerted on the outer edges of hook-carrying members 9 by fulcrums 12 when pressure is brought to.

bear upon finger member 16, will aid in stabilizing member 9 as the upward pressure is exerted along the meeting line thereof by dome 15 and will act upon plate 8 as if the fulcrum points were attached directly thereto.

It has been found that this structure will open the ordinary ring binder with much less pressure than the openers now commonly used. The fact that the binder may be assembled with the opener in position, i. e. supported b members 9 is also an advantage since the a dition of parts other than the actual hook-opening member-itself is not required. Also, the hook-opening member cannot'be removed binder. U

It is understood that many changes inethe construction of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. r

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a loose-leaf binder having a pair of rockingly mounted hookcarrying members and a spring plate, means foropening saidhook-carrying members including means for reducing the force exerted by said spring plate -upon said hook-carrying members as the hook-carrying members-are being urged to the open position, said 0 ening means comprising a lever fulcrume on said members adjacent said spring plate and adapted to be assembled with said members as a unit.

2. In combination with a loose-leaf binder having a pair of rockingly mounted hook- -carryin -members, means supported solely bly s'ai hook-carrying members adjacent t e1r oppositely disposed ed es for opening the hooks carried thereby an% adapted to be assembled with said members as a unit.

3. In combination with a loose-leaf binder without disassembling the.

having a pair of rockingly mounted hookcarrying members, means supported by said hook-carrying members adjacent the ends thereof adapted to open the hooks carried thereby, said hook-opening means being suported free of the remaining parts of said Binder and adapted to be assembled, with said members as a unit.

4. In combination with a loose-leaf binder having a pair of rockingly mounted hookcarrying members held by a spring plate,

means supported by said hook-carrying members adjacent the edges engaged by sald spring plate adapted to open the hooks carried thereby, said means and members being assembled as a unit in said binder.

5. In a loose-leaf binder a pair of rockingly mounted hook carrying members having openings adjacent their outer edges and ends, means adapted to open the hooks having members passin through said openings to engage sald hoo -carrying members on the upper surface thereof whereby said hook opening means is supported solely by said members. v

6. In a loose-'leaf-binder a pair of rock ingly mounted hook-carrying members each having an opening adjacent the outer edge at each end thereof and means for rocking said membersto the open position having fulcrums extending alpwardly through each ofsaid openings respectively to engage the upper surface of each hook-carrying member.

7. In a loose-leaf bindena pair of rockingly mounted hook-carrying members, means carried by said members having a plurality of fulcrums adapted to engage each hook-carrying member and means for engaging said members at their meeting edges to open the book when said member is rocked on said fulcrums. A

8. In a loose-leaf binder a pair of rockingly mounted hook-carrying members, means carried by .said members having a pair of fulcrums and an engaging member adapted to engage said hook-carrying members at their meeting edges and on a line intermediate said fulcrums.

9. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a pair of toggle plates articulated at their inner ends, a base plate including means for exerting a yielding pressure on the remote edges of the toggle plates,'and means comprising a lever fulcrumed on said plates adjacent said remote edges for simultaneously pressing upwardly on the toggle plates and relieving the pressure on the remote edges thereof, said lever and members being assembled as a unit in said binder.

10. In a loose leaf hinder, the combination of pairs of" paper holding prongs, a air of toggle plates articulated at their adjacent edges to form a toggle adapted to bend upwardly to separate the pairs of prongs and to bend downwardly to bring the pr gs together, a channeled resilient base plate re-- the portions of the base plate, said lever and ceiving the toggle plates and exerting a members being assembled as a unit in said yielding pressure on their remote edges, and binder. v a lever fulcrumed on said plates adjacent In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my I said remote edges adapted to simultaneously signature this 29th day of July, 1925.

press upwardly on the intermediate portion of the toggle and downwardly on the side of RICHARD M. VAN VALKENBURGH. 

